


She Protec, She Attac, She Got Ben's Bac

by faequeentitania



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Bullying, Established Relationship, F/M, Fights, Force Bond (Star Wars), Post-Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Protectiveness, Redeemed Ben Solo, Telepathic Bond
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-25
Updated: 2018-03-25
Packaged: 2019-04-08 01:47:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14094345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/faequeentitania/pseuds/faequeentitania
Summary: Ben finally wised up and joined Rey, returning to the side of the Light, but not everyone in the Resistance is very welcoming. Frankly, Rey is completely fed up with it, and she's about to let everyone know that Ben Solo isnot to be messed with.





	She Protec, She Attac, She Got Ben's Bac

**Author's Note:**

> This title is ridiculous but I couldn't stop myself. This story is very self-indulgent, but I just couldn't get the idea of a protective Rey beating up some bullies to defend Ben out of my head. I also really love writing Rey's aggressive side; I mean this was the chick who raised her lightsaber against _Luke freaking Skywalker_ because she was so pissed at what he had done to his nephew. Angry Rey is my idol.

Rey had had more than enough. Her patience was gone, her empathy completely and utterly run dry.

She was not oblivious to the hostility of the others at the base; she had not been naive enough to think that Ben would be welcomed with open arms.

But she _had_ been expecting at least a modicum of respect. He was spoken for, both Leia and Rey open and vocal about their faith and trust in him, and his knowledge of the First Order had already served to help them immensely. No one in the Resistance had to like him, but she was completely fed up with them questioning his place there, and even more thoroughly fed up with their blatant aggression.

When she had once apologized for the way the others were behaving, he had tried to shrug it off, “I have you.”

Flattered as she was by his contentment in her company, it still irked her that so few were willing to even give him a chance.

He was introverted by nature, she knew, so it was not like he was desperate to find a league of friends, but the hostility needed to stop.

“I just don’t understand it,” she had vented in frustration to Finn, “Everyone knows you’re a former Stormtrooper and no one batted an eye about that, why is he different?”

“Because I was just a number,” Finn had sighed in answer, “Your boy is the former Supreme Leader. It’s just not the same playing field.”

She thought that was ridiculous, and said so, but it didn’t change the fact that Finn seemed to be right.

“Can’t you talk him up a bit?” she asked desperately, and he scoffed.

“And have people start thinking _I’m_ secretly a First Order spy or something? Hell no. Sorry Rey, but he’s a big boy, he can handle himself on this one.”

 _Useless_. Finn was utterly useless as a best friend, she decided. She had no idea why she still loved him.

The problem was Ben _couldn’t_ handle it himself. He wasn’t completely foolish, he understood that there were some among them that were looking for the smallest hint of trouble as a reason to lock him up as a prisoner, or worse. The severity of his need for discretion and not engaging in aggressive behavior, even if instigated by someone else, had been very thoroughly imparted on him by his mother, and Rey understood why. Things were tense enough as it was, there didn’t need to be a catalyst for all-out chaos within the Resistance.

To say it was difficult for them both was an understatement. Ben’s temper was famously short fused, with a side portion of hubris to make it worse, so while he didn’t mind people ignoring him, the ones who sought to rile him were almost always successful and he had no outlet for it.

And Rey had had _enough._

So when there was the crash of a metal plate hitting the floor of the mess hall and she looked up to find Ben being confronted by two livid-looking men, she decided right then and there that they were not going to take this anymore.

“ _Rey_ ,” Finn said her name warningly, but she ignored him in favor of grabbing her staff from where it was leaning against the table, ready and waiting for the sparring session they had planned for after breakfast. Looked like she was getting a jump start.

She couldn't hear what they were saying yet, but she could feel Ben’s temper flaring, and could see the scowl on his face.

She reached them just as one of the men made the gravely stupid mistake of putting his hands to Ben’s chest in a rough shove, and she didn't hesitate to crack her staff across the back of his skull.

The other man yelled an aggressive curse as his companion went down, grabbing for her with an angry swing of his arms.

Rey gave her own yell of fury as she jabbed her staff roughly into his gut before landing a blow to the side of his head that sent him sprawling, and she defensively stepped between Ben and the instigators with a snarl curling her lips.

 _“That! Is! Enough!”_ she punctuated each word forcefully, shouting it into the now deadly quiet mess hall, “If anyone, and I mean _anyone_ , tries to pick a fight with him again, they will be answering to me; and _believe me_ when I say that the stories about him-" she jabbed her thumb over her shoulder at Ben’s silently looming form, “-pale in comparison to what I did to survive all those years on Jakku. This is your one and only warning, do I make myself clear?”

She glared around the mess hall furiously, daring anyone to challenge her, and met multiple pairs of nervous or outright fearful eyes. Good. They should be afraid, she meant every word.

“And you two!” she pointed her staff at the men she had hit, who were glaring at her from the ground, bloodied and angry, “If you don’t want me to break your jaws, you need to get out of my sight. _Now._ ”

They eyed her staff wearily, and after a tense moment they got up without another word and slunk off.

“You alright?” she turned to ask Ben, who was giving her an odd look.

 _Have I mentioned you're really hot when you're ticked off?_ he sent the thought to her over their shared connection, and she felt her face start to go pink.

_Shut up, or next time I'm letting you take a beating._

He smirked, _That's not very Jedi behavior._

“Come on,” she said out loud, turning away and walking back toward her table, where Finn was watching with raised eyebrows.

Ben followed silently, dutifully ignoring the stares and glares being directed their way, and Rey considered kissing him, just to drive the point home.

 _I like this possessive streak,_ Ben commented with amusement as they sat down, and she pinched his thigh under the table.

Completely unfazed, he grabbed her hand and laced their fingers together instead.

 _Skip sparring today,_ he sent, _I’ve got a better idea for that pent up anger._

Her face flushed at the barrage of mental images he sent along with his words, but she found herself squeezing his hand in agreement.

“Eat,” she shoved her plate between them to share, and he looked at her with amusement, “You're gonna need energy if you really plan to do all of that.”

His grin grew bigger, and she smiled in return.

She may not have gained any new friends from her little speech, but it seemed like a fair trade.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Feel free to come say hi on [tumblr](https://faequeentitania.tumblr.com).


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